Email: ncristiani@luc.edu                                                                                                  

Office: Room 104

Office Hour: Mon/Tues/Thurs 3:05-3.55 pm and by appointment.

Meeting Days and Times: M/T/TH 2:00-2:55pm

Meeting Place: TBA

Online course: https://sakai.luc.edu/

           

 

 

course description

 

 The aim of this course is to further develop students’ knowledge of the target language (communicatively relevant patterns and common exceptions in interactive discourse) and culture through communicative in-class activities and out-of-class assignments. Authentic material in Italian (songs, films, short prose narratives, etc.) will complement this course. Short and frequent writing assignments will be an important way for students to reflect on their language use. This course is designed  as a systematic review and expansion of the grammar ;emphasis is placed on further development of  reading, writing and speaking  skills. This course will be conducted in the target language.

 

 

course objectives / learning outcomes

 

Class meetings will center on developing communicative ability, and will be supplemented with in-class activities and as much authentic reading, listening, and visual material as possible.

Upon completion of Italian 4, students should attain a level of competency sufficient to:

-          Communicate ideas in extended discourse and participate in common interactive situations (speaking skills);

-          Understand native speech and its social meaning - everyday topics in predictable/unpredictable contexts (listening skills);

-          Comprehend the content and the cultural significance of literary and non-literary texts on familiar/unfamiliar topics and discourse types (reading skills);

-       Write coherently and appropriately on a variety of topics and discourse types (writing skills);

-       Understand specific aspects of Italian culture (contemporary issues on immigration and politics, the fine arts, history, geography, etc.) as well as assumptions and beliefs underlying culture-specific norms and infractions to norms (cultural competency).

 

 

 

course requirements

 

In order to attain the learning outcomes outlined above and to ensure that the course proceeds efficiently, students are encouraged and expected to:

 

1. Attend class. Not attending class will lower a student's grade for several reasons (e.g., lack of participation; missed clarifications, explanations, and analyses; missed vocabulary, etc.);
2. Participate actively and constructively in class both with the instructor and other students;
3. Take all quizzes and exams, and complete assignments on their scheduled dates and at their scheduled times (see dates in boldface type under class schedule). Make-up quizzes and exams will be provided only in accordance with Rome Center policy regarding excused absences (see absence policy);
4. Complete homework assignments on their due date;
5. Comport themselves in a manner conducive to learning and with respect for other students;
6. Speak Italian as requested during class meetings.

 

 

 

 

general absence policy

 

In order for an absence to be excused, the student must present the instructor with a written note of excuse from the Dean of Faculty, the Associate Dean of Students, the Director of Residence Life. Please note that such personal reasons as travel plans, visiting relatives, friends, etc., cannot be accepted as valid grounds for excusing an absence unless authorized by the Dean of Faculty.

 

 

course-specific absence guidelines

 

For the purpose of grade calculation, each  unexcused absence that a student accumulates after the second will reduce her or his final grade by 3% (e.g., if a student's pre-absence grade calculation is 92%, with 4 absences the grade reduces 6 percentage points to 86%, resulting in a drop in the final grade from A- to B+).

 

It is the student's responsibility to inform herself or himself of homework assignments, class notes, etc. in the event of absence.

 

 

 

 

texts – required:

 

QuiItalia .it,2012, livello intermedio (B1)  Mazzetti,Falcinelli,Servadio e Santeusanio

Le Monnier Editore, Firenze

 (available for purchase in JFRC bookstore)  

 

Handouts  provided by the Instructor.

 

 

 

 

 

means of assessment

 

The final grade will be determined on the basis of the following criteria, and grades will be assigned according to the following scale:

                                    % of final grade                         Grading Scale

 

 

%            gr. pt.      meaning   A             100-93                     excellent A-            89-92       B+            86-88 B              81-85                       good B-            78-80       C+           75-77 C             71-74.5                    satisfactory C-            68-70.5    min. for pass/fail option D+           63-67.5    D             60-62.5                    poor D-            57-59.5 F              below 57 failure

 

*Class Participation                                10%

*Oral Assignments (2)                            10%                 

*Compositions (4,graded)                       10%

*Language Project                                  5%

 Homework                                           10%

 Quizzes (4)                                           20%                 

 Midterm Exam                                      15%                 

 Final Exam                                           20%                 

                                                           

Grading Scale

 

Those students who cannot attend the final exam session will receive a grade of 0 (zero) on the final exam (except those students with a valid excuse; see absence policy), and the final grade will be calculated accordingly.

 

         

 

 

academic integrity

 

The deliberate appropriation and representation of another person's work (ideas, language, findings, etc.) as one's own on any written assignment, quiz, exam, or paper—commonly referred to as "plagiarism"—will result in a student's automatic failure for that assignment or examination and notification of the Director that the student is suspected to have committed plagiarism. Any such behavior undermines the fundamental trust upon which academic integrity and a community of scholars is based. Every student must familiarize herself or himself with the rules referring to academic integrity as outlined in the Loyola University Chicago Undergraduate Studies Catalogue. Knowledge of the University's academic integrity guidelines will be taken for granted.

 

 

sakai

 

This course requires that each student activate and maintain access to the Sakai on-line learning tool. Through this medium such tasks can be accomplished as communicating homework assignments, submitting homework, and communicating important course-related information. In addition, specific files can be accessed through Sakai (e.g., course syllabus, quiz correction keys, language-learning files).

 

voicethread

 

The oral and/or homework components of the course will require each student to access the VoiceThread online tool.

 

students with disabilities

 

Students with documented disabilities who wish to discuss academic accommodations should contact me the first week of class.